This is not just a self promotion post. Notice I did not even put a link. I really want to know if my ideas make people say, "Hey, I should read that..."
Until the early twenty first century, Normal, Texas was a quiet college town. Then, devoured by the creeping urban sprawl of the ‘Plex, it is a crossroads of fate for four unlikely heroes. In a post-automotive age of debt economics and automated coffee houses, the summer heat of 2040 makes everyone a little crazy. With the help of a departed alien space probe and a deceased genetic engineer, Normal becomes the focus of history making events. Swept up by this history, are our four heroes:
Warren Mulberry – A homeless man, he makes a living by finding treasure in the garbage. He collects antique electronics and spends time reading at the local library annex. Warren is content in his spartan life, but lonely. This all changes when he makes an unlikely new friend.
Annette Carroll – Fourteen years old and a high school graduate, this serious young woman is disappointed in her new taco assembly job. Constantly battling sexual harassment and her own compulsive behavior, Annette dreams of finding her runaway sister. With the help of her insatiable curiosity and a mysterious ally, she embarks on a new career.
Benito Alvarado – A hard-working telecommuter and toy collector, Benny has not left his grandmother’s house in thirteen years. After making a careless request to a stranger, he learns that life is very different than his favorite anime.
Alice Brae – A free spirited world traveler, Alice roams the Earth, unaware of the millions who watch her exploits on the net. When she is recruited as a diplomat by a tribe of natives, she must come to terms with her dark past and her public life.
In a world hungry for miracles, we find the miraculous all around us. In a Texas desperate for change, we find the origin of superheroes.
Mason,
Probably. But you need to write it first, right? I suppose that's part of the reason you joined LitReactor. If you can scrape together the tuition for one of the Intensives, I would highly recommend taking this quality synopsis into one that suits your needs.
I forget, did I see that you joined the Workshop?
i'd read a story about a dust speck having an existential debate with the asteroid he lives on, while hurdling through the cosmos... if it was well written and somehow compelling.
but i might say that having four heroes, and therefore potentially four narrators is a little ambitious, even for a professional author. you might want to consider finding out which one is most likely to carry a book, and have that one encounter the others.
just a suggestion.
EDIT: in fact, the fourteen year old girl might be an interesting choice, if you follow my suggestion, since her journey might put her in contact with the widest variety of people, and perilous situations
And a damn good one at that.
I would read the shit out of it, in fact.
It sounds interesting.
Given that our young friend Annette Carroll is assembling tacos, and if we posit that said tacos are similar to those from Taco Bell, we can safely assume that the "meat" in question contains plenty for me to read out.
But seriously, literate dystopia will always find readers. Me included.